Scot MacDonald MLC, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Central Coast and the Hunter

Northern Daily Leader

Dear Editor,

Once again Clr Mark Rodda serves up a lazy criticism of the NSW Liberal National Government (Letters 16/12). He is correct to remind us the Coalition's ambition in 2011 was to make NSW Number 1. After a prolonged period at or near the bottom of economic performance indicators under Labor, our State now leads the nation on employment growth, business investment, consumer confidence, housing approvals consistently putting NSW at the top of Commsec state by state comparison. More than half of the country's growth comes from NSW with unemployment sitting at 4.6%.

Mr Rodda then goes onto imply our proposed upgrade of stadiums in Sydney comes at the expense of other infrastructure. The Treasurer has just confirmed our Government has committed to a record $80Billion of capital works over the next four years.

Not withstanding Mr Rodda routinely mistakes which level of government is responsible for infrastructure and doesn't seem to be aware of planning or works committed to by either his own Council or the state government, there will continue to be record funding for roads, schools, hospitals, justice in regional NSW. This is in addition to the $1.6Billion Regional Growth Fund and Stronger Country Communes Fund assisting with community, tourism, sporting,cultural and job creation projects.

And we must not forgot Mr Rodda has been a trenchant critic of the financial strategy of the NSW Liberal National Government that have given us these opportunities. Our Government was faced with a net debt of nearly $40Billion when we beat Labor in 2011. Through Asset Recycling and prudent financial economic management, NSW has zero net debt and budget surpluses. The previous ALP government was stealing from future generations, running down infrastructure and borrowing to pay public sector wages. It was a train wreck. Now we can catch up on infrastructure without burdening our children and their children.

Mr Rodda is right in that we can always do more and I am quite certain there are projects that any of us can identify that need investment.

The difference is under this Government we can act and invest. Following Mr Rodda's preferred policies it would have been more hot air, glossy brochures and incremental regional decline.